What is LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)?
LCP measures the loading time of the largest visible element on a page. Target: under 2.5 seconds.
What is the "largest element"?
Typically, it's:
- ●A hero image or banner
- ●A large text block
- ●A video poster
Targets
- ●Good: < 2.5 seconds
- ●Needs improvement: 2.5 – 4 seconds
- ●Poor: > 4 seconds
How to improve LCP?
- ●Optimize images (WebP, compression, lazy loading)
- ●Use a CDN
- ●Minimize render-blocking CSS and JavaScript
- ●Preload critical resources (
) - ●Enable browser caching
SEO Impact
LCP is one of the 3 Core Web Vitals used by Google as a ranking factor. Slow LCP = slow site = less traffic.
Related Terms
What are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are 3 Google metrics measuring the speed, responsiveness, and visual stability of a web page.
What is CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)?
CLS measures a page's visual stability. A poor CLS means elements move around during loading.
What is Page Loading Speed?
Loading speed measures the time needed to fully display a web page. It's a Google ranking factor.
What is Lazy Loading?
Lazy loading is a technique that delays loading images and videos until they're visible on screen.
What is Google Lighthouse?
Lighthouse is a Google tool that audits a web page's performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices.
What is TBT (Total Blocking Time)?
TBT measures the total time a page is blocked and unresponsive to user interactions.